Ethical Approaches in Technology

Questions and Answers

What ethical approach emphasizes the importance of duty and rule-based decisions?

Virtue ethics

Consequentialism

Deontology (correct)

Utilitarianism

Which ethical concern relates to the fairness of decisions made by algorithms?

Transparency

Complexity

Bias (correct)

Accountability

Which scenario does NOT involve ethical considerations for decision-making by algorithms?

Autonomous vehicles

Predictive policing

Credit scoring

Weather forecasting (correct)

What fundamental question should be asked regarding decisions made by algorithms?

Is the decision fair? Signup and view all the answers

In the context of algorithmic decision-making, transparency refers to which aspect?

The ease of understanding the decision process Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not considered a dimension to assess in algorithmic decisions?

Ownership Signup and view all the answers

In which ethical approach are the consequences of actions the primary focus?

Consequentialism Signup and view all the answers

Who is typically responsible for the decisions made by algorithmic systems?

The developers and organizations behind the algorithms Signup and view all the answers

What is the false positive rate for blacks?

44.9% Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding the recidivism rates of high-risk individuals?

60% of high-risk blacks recidivate. Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred about the false negative rate for whites?

It is higher than that for blacks. Signup and view all the answers

What defines a false negative in the context provided?

An individual identified as a threat who is released. Signup and view all the answers

What is the false negative rate for blacks?

28.0% Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes true positive?

An individual is correctly identified as a threat and is detained. Signup and view all the answers

What does the algorithm's bias imply in this context?

It is not biased, but the dataset is. Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of whites classified as low risk may end up committing a crime?

47.7% Signup and view all the answers

What method was used to analyze the written justifications in the study?

RoBERTa analysis Signup and view all the answers

How many non-experts participated in the study's data collection?

3745 Signup and view all the answers

What were the two distinct constructs identified by laypeople regarding AI inferences?

Emotion expression and assertiveness Signup and view all the answers

Inadvertently, which inferences did laypeople show disagreement towards in a decision-making context?

Assertive and likeable Signup and view all the answers

Which factors were noted as contributing to the first type of inference perceived by laypeople?

Emotion expression and gender Signup and view all the answers

What contextual factors influenced non-experts' ethical evaluations of AI facial inferences?

Advertisement context Signup and view all the answers

What is an ex ante explanation primarily concerned with?

System functionality before a decision Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following attributes must be included in an explanation according to GDPR?

At least 3 attributes Signup and view all the answers

What does an ex post explanation address?

The rationale of a specific decision Signup and view all the answers

Why is transparency important in algorithmic decision-making?

It helps individuals understand significant consequences Signup and view all the answers

What must data controllers provide according to the GDPR regarding automated decision-making?

Meaningful information about logic, significance, and consequences Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential consequence of interacting with a non-transparent algorithmic system?

Difficulties in understanding decisions made Signup and view all the answers

How does Facebook utilize personal data in decision-making for targeted advertisements?

With over 4000 attributes for classification Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about the stakes in algorithmic decisions is accurate?

Decisions can significantly affect personal outcomes like loans and employment. Signup and view all the answers

What factors are considered trust-enhancing for product adoption related to ethics?

Fairness, accountability, and transparency Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of Americans reportedly do not trust Autonomous Vehicles (AVs)?

78% Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the role of transparency in algorithmic decision-making?

Transparency is necessary for fairness and accountability. Signup and view all the answers

What is the concern surrounding the use of algorithmic decision-making in predicting recidivism risk?

It disproportionately affects certain demographic groups. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following examples demonstrates the use of algorithmic decision-making?

Determining insurance premiums based on driving history Signup and view all the answers

What is a major reason for employing risk assessment tools in the criminal justice system?

To manage overcrowding in prisons Signup and view all the answers

How is trust in AI technology often affected according to trust-enhancing factors?

More transparency leads to increased trust. Signup and view all the answers

What key measurement is used to assess the impact of algorithmic decision-making on society?

Fairness, accountability, and transparency Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Announcements

Questions on Moodle regarding exams until Wednesday noon.
Grade bonus tasks available on Moodle.
Announcement on Global AI Dialogue.

Recap of Ethical Approaches

Three major approaches: Deontology (duty-based), Utilitarianism (outcome-based), Virtue ethics (moral character).
Digital technologies present morally charged scenarios.
Ethical preferences may vary by culture; decisions by experts could be necessary.
Autonomous vehicles pose ethical and social dilemmas.

Focus of Lecture

Discussion on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAT) in AI and algorithmic systems.
Autonomous vehicles examined for ethical dilemmas.

Algorithmic Decisions and Ethics

Every algorithmic decision holds an ethical dimension, affecting areas like:
- Predictive policing and recidivism outcomes.
- Credit scoring and financial assessments.
- Employment decisions and employee success predictions.

Key Questions in Algorithmic Decision-Making

Inquire about fairness, decision-makers, accountability, decision-making process, and transparency.
Ethical measurements of FAT can enhance trust and product adoption.

Public Perception of Autonomous Vehicles

78% of Americans do not trust autonomous vehicles.
Many Americans feel unsafe sharing the road with fully self-driving vehicles.

Prevalence of Algorithmic Decision-Making

Common applications include employee success prediction, academic performance assessment, predictive policing, and driving outcome forecasting.
Questions arise about the fairness, accountability, and transparency of AI systems in these contexts.

FAT: Factors for AI Trust

Transparency is crucial for verifying fairness and accountability in decision-making.
Lack of transparency inhibits understanding of algorithmic processes.

Case Study: Recidivism Risk Assessment Tools

Risk assessment tools used to evaluate the likelihood of reoffending post-release.
U.S. incarceration rates are high, disproportionately affecting African-Americans.

ProPublica's Analysis of Recidivism

Fairness results show varying high-risk classifications between racial groups.
Notably, the algorithm did not exhibit bias, but the dataset did.

False & True Positives/Negatives Explained

False positives: Incorrectly identifying individuals who pose no threat as threats (44.9% for blacks vs. 23.5% for whites).
False negatives: Misclassifying risky individuals as low-risk (28.0% for blacks vs. 47.7% for whites).
Data controllers must provide explanations before (ex ante) and after (ex post) decisions.

Ex Ante and Ex Post Explanations

Ex ante: Addresses system functionality but lacks rationale for specific decisions made.
Ex post: Provides clarity on both system functionality and rationale after a decision occurs.

Regulations demand meaningful information about logic behind automated decisions, and expected consequences.

AI System Interaction Challenges

Non-transparent algorithms create difficulties in understanding decision impacts, especially in critical areas like recidivism, credit scores, and employment.

Study on AI Inferences

Laypeople distinguish between emotional and character-based inferences from AI.
Emphasis on contexts influencing ethical evaluations, showing agreement or disagreement towards various attributes.

Results and Implications

Initial exploratory analysis identifies separate constructs in AI assessments.
Ethical evaluation of AI inferences varies significantly based on context and perceived consequences of the decisions.

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Description

Explore the three major ethical approaches: Deontology, Utilitarianism, and Virtue ethics as they relate to digital technologies. This quiz will examine how these ethical frameworks apply to emerging challenges, such as autonomous vehicles, and highlight the cultural variability in ethical decision-making.